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The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a notorious four-man armed robbery gang linked to a series of violent attacks and car thefts in Akure, Owo, and surrounding communities.
Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, announced the breakthrough on Sunday during a press briefing in Akure, where he outlined the command’s recent security operations.
Lawal explained that the arrests followed a robbery incident in Akure on June 27, where a vehicle and valuables were stolen. Acting on credible intelligence, officers from the Tactical Intelligence and Response Squad (TIRS) tracked and apprehended two suspects outside the state. Further intelligence led to the arrest of two more gang members, including a suspected serial receiver of stolen goods.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate specialises in car snatching and illegal vehicle trafficking,” the commissioner said.
Recovered items include a stolen vehicle and several mobile phones. Investigations are ongoing to trace more stolen property and arrest other accomplices, including an alleged arms supplier still on the run.
In a related operation, the command also recovered livestock valued at ₦41 million, stolen by Ali Garuba Muhammed, an employee of Fasua Oyeleye.
Oyeleye had reported on July 1 that Muhammed fled with 55 cattle and eight rams. Within 48 hours, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit recovered 22 of the stolen cows. The primary suspect remains at large, and efforts to retrieve the remaining livestock are ongoing.
“These operations highlight the capacity of the Ondo State Police to disrupt organised crime using strategic, intelligence-driven policing,” Lawal stated.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, pledging that all criminal networks within the state would be pursued and dismantled.
